by Lena Yoder
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). This verse often melodies through my mind in the morning.
I’m having a hard time getting all the sand out of my eyes this morning. Hopefully sipping some coffee will help a bit. For some reason I was extra tired last night, and I got out of bed this morning feeling like I had been run through a mill. Maybe this is why…
Two days ago my friend Virginia and I went to Schoolcraft, Michigan, to harvest grapes. I’d heard we could get them for a very reasonable price, and usually, people told me, a person can pick a bushel in just a matter of minutes. But this year frost got 75 percent of the crops, so it took quite a bit longer to pick three bushels. We took our leisurely time cutting the grapes and sorting out the bad ones. We paid by the pound and didn’t want to pay for bad ones. It was after lunch when we were done. We stopped at McDonald’s to grab a bite to eat on the way home. We had seen a Goodwill store on the way up in the morning, so we decided we almost had to stop if we were that close.
All told, we didn’t get home until 3:30 in the afternoon. After settling all of Wayne and the children’s curiosities about my day, and after I had listened to the events of their day, I dashed about and steamed two batches of grapes in the steamer/juicer. By then it was time to head to the neighborhood ice-cream social.
The next morning, before filling Wayne’s lunch bucket, I got another steamer going with grapes. I knew it would take all day, so I thought I had best get started.
While preparing the children’s breakfast, I put together a simple brunch casserole for a neighbor lady. Colleen and Karah delivered that, and then went on to another neighbor’s place to borrow another juicer/steamer. (I’d be lost without my neighbors.)
After breakfast Colleen started with tomatoes. She canned around 30 quarts of tomato juice. I washed and steamed grapes all forenoon. And washed dishes… and more dishes. You should have seen our kitchen. Between my grapes, Colleen’s tomatoes, and Jesse’s toys, we had it looking quite lived in! As the day progressed, we had stacks of empty 5-gallon buckets and 10-gallon tubs outside the kitchen door waiting to be washed. By noon we had it where we thought we could kick up our feet a couple minutes until the next batch of grapes were steamed and the tomato juice was done steaming in the Conservo.* Colleen went upstairs to her room, Jesse was on the couch looking at books, and I had just lifted my weary legs and stretched out on our bed (it felt so good!), when I heard a bawl and a low rumble of… what did I hear?
I sprang out of bed, looked out the window, and for a second I froze. Horrors! One of my worst nightmares was horrendously coming true. There, dancing in my sister Ida’s yard and standing between our two houses, was a heifer and our large, menacing bull. “I am so afraid of him. Terribly afraid of him. He’s big, he’s black, and he is on the loose! Oh, Lord, help me!” I cried out. I screamed for Colleen and told Jesse he must absolutely not leave the house!
What else could I do but go outside? I searched for weapons, finding a flimsy rod of some kind and a crooked broom.
I went outside and ran to open the gate to a pasture; hopefully, I could get him in there. I wasn’t concerned about the heifer. She looked quite harmless.
By that time, 42 heifers were lined up along the fence east of Ida’s house to watch the show. Hamburger Steak was showing his stuff, doing his best to impress them.
Then the UPS truck came. Never was I so glad to see Mark, the UPS man! I told him we desperately need help. He drove east so he could hopefully keep the bull and heifer from running that way.
By now the bull was acting mad, thrashing and roving around like only a mad bull can. He butted heads with the heifer and then thrashed around again. He pawed up cornstalks that were scattered in the garden.
We were useless. Colleen went to the closest neighbors to see if they were home. Even though I had been praying constantly, by that time I was praying out loud desperately.
There is a crossroad about one-eighth mile east of here, and about that time a truck was headed south. I made enough motions that, praise the Lord, the guy saw me and hesitated. I motioned some more. He backed up and came to help. I told him what was up, where the two varmints belonged, and asked if he could use the truck to try to get them in.
Colleen and neighbor Leonard and his son were back by this time. The UPS man left to get more help. With the trucker’s patient maneuvering of his truck and a good-sized landscaping stone landing between the eyes of Hamburger Steak as a distraction, they got him and the heifer to where they belonged. Praise God!
I was one shaky lady and so thankful that we were all unharmed. Hopefully Hamburger Steak will go to the sale barn today, and we’ll use the profits to buy a nice, calm butcher steer to fill our freezer.
While we were still outside, we happened to think of our steamers going full blast in the house. Colleen ran and shut off the burners.
Now, when we came back inside, I checked the clock. We’d been outside barely an hour. It seemed quite a bit longer!
In the afternoon we made a triple-batch of pizza sauce. I was close to becoming claustrophobic in my messy kitchen. The counters were loaded with dirty dishes, ingredients, can lids, and whatever else that goes with canning. We had a six-foot table set up in the area of my cupboards and stove, so that made it a bit cramped, but we needed it to hold the canning jars.
All said and done, we processed 97 quarts by that evening. I was so thankful for the food and that the jobs were completed. Next on the canning list is applesauce and apple pie filling. We’ll be glad when those messes are cleaned up and the cans all carried to the basement. After carrying the last cans of the season to the basement, I like to step back and look at the can shelves, my heart overflowing with gratitude.
By the time the dishes were all in their appropriate places again, the floors swept and mopped, supper eaten, and dishes washed again, it was time to shower and head for bed. I was afraid I’d have nightmares with Hamburger Steak chasing me, but I didn’t. I slept solid.
When we stopped at Goodwill the other day, I was lucky to find Brian some school shirts. All the shirts he had for school were blue, and these were yellow and cream. We were both happy about that. Today I want to pick off the pockets to make them appropriate to wear in our community. Colleen will launder the shirts and then they will be ready to wear.
I mentioned earlier about making a casserole for a neighbor lady. Our church has a granite roaster that travels, filled, from house to house, being a continuous blessing. Whoever had church services last fills it for the lady who is preparing to host next. This gift is like sunshine on a busy day. We also have a cookie jar traveling along through the community. With a family to feed, it really helps out.
Today I would like to change pace and do something totally different. Sew! I haven’t sewn anything in the last two months. I guess I still know how. The children’s requests for clothes have been getting loader and louder. I don’t blame them. I know they each need several sets of new clothes. They keep on growing.
Year 4
Winter
“Joy to the world the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king… Silent night, holy night, all is come, all is bright… Away in a manger no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head…” It’s Christmastime, and I love the sounds of the season. Singing these old hymns is soothing to my mind and body. They bring peace to my soul. The news of Jesus’ birth is as precious now as it was more than 2000 years ago. Jesus is alive!
Our Christmas church services are much the same as any other Sunday. Of course, the Christmas story from Scripture is used. Instead of our usual lunch of peanut-butter spread, jam, pickles, red beets, ham, cheese, and cookies, we have a “carry in lunch” we all enjoy. The people who host that day provide ham and pots of chicken noodles. Scalloped potatoes, vegetables, salads, Christmas Ribbon salad, and pies are brought in by everyone else. Sometimes we sing Christmas hymns in the afternoon; other times we visit with everyo
ne before heading home filled to the brim spiritually and physically.
Hosting Wayne’s family Christmas is a highly anticipated event. With close to 100 people, including his mom and dad, siblings, grandchildren, and greats, it takes a bunch of tables and chairs to accommodate everyone. Everyone comes with arms overloaded with food and games.
We fry pans of cornmeal mush, make breakfast quiches or casseroles, and cook biscuits, sausage gravy, tomato gravy, hash browns, ham and sausage, fruits, and pastries. We provide the meat and drinks, and the rest is provided by family members. It takes a lot of coffee and hot chocolate too.
After eating brunch around 8:30, we usually all sit down to sing Christmas carols. Sometimes we play a type of Bingo with Christmas gifts, but oftentimes we don’t give gifts because each family shares gifts in their own home. The rest of the day is spent in fellowship and playing games.
In the afternoon, tables are laden with all sorts of homemade candies, fruits, vegetables, dips and snacks. Anything imaginable is there. We go home knowing we won’t be needing supper—only exercise and water.
A day well spent creating memories and staying bonded with the extended family.
It seems the older I get, the more I dread the cold of winter. I am always cold, which even to me is laughable because of the good-natured ribbing I dished out to some of my cousins and my dad. I never imagined I would someday be in their shoes. The first 15 years of marriage I often had a child or two on my lap. I usually had a fussy baby, a busy toddler or two to run after, plus plenty of extra padding on my body. Thus, oftentimes I was red-faced and warm. The last several years both scenarios have changed, and I often find myself scrambling for a jacket. The most unthinkable of all is wearing a long-sleeved nightgown and booties to bed. I must really be getting old.
With eight, thickly bundled people squashed into our antiquated surrey buggy, it brings on some chaos I like to avoid by just staying at home on cold winter nights. That can’t always be done though, so we squeeze, grunt, and complain our way into the buggy and pray for a safe and peaceful trip to wherever we are headed.
There are things I do enjoy about winter. Piecing a quilt or two, doing some painting on greeting cards, sewing for the family, and eating chili for supper. Long, cozy evenings spent with the family. Feeling the warmth of the coal stove on my back as I relax with a good book in front of the stove.
A while back, in the wee hours of the morning, Colleen and I took the horse and buggy to our friends’ house. There we joined Ruth and her daughter Julie in their buggy and headed toward Goshen. Our first stop was at Menards, where we loaded up on paint supplies for Colleen’s bedroom. From there we drove to Walmart. After securing the horse to the hitching rail, we went in search of a city bus schedule. We’d made plans to travel to the Dunlap area to sate our daughters’ shopping appetites. I wished to satisfy my curiosity about traveling this route via bus too.
As we waited by the first bus… with no driver in sight, Julie decided to deposit some of our jackets in the buggy before traveling on. She ran to the buggy and while there, the bus driver appeared and was going to leave immediately. The three of us on the bus begged the driver to wait, saying Julie is coming, running, please wait. We played our parts well; the driver stopped the bus. Talk about some country bumpkins trying to act like city folk.
After shopping at a used clothing store near the Dunlap Walmart, we ran to catch the bus again. No driver in sight again, but we dared not venture lest we miss out again. Then this bus was headed in the wrong direction so we had 30 minutes to browse in Walmart. I found boots for Emily and Jolisa at very decent prices. We headed out to the bus stop again, and this time the driver was an elderly, friendly fellow who answered some of our questions. We told him to drop us off at Kohl’s. Okay, no problem, he says. We settled into our seats, expecting to travel several miles. Well, we traveled the same direction we had just run from, traveled around the building, and went directly into the Kohl’s parking lot. We experienced a major fit of giggles! We could easily have walked to Kohl’s and saved us each a dollar. We were definitely fish out of water. The driver probably had the laugh of his day.
We had a good mother/daughter day, albeit exhausting. We did find our way home again, although much to Wayne’s chagrin not until supper time. It was fun while it lasted, but I am glad it doesn’t happen often. I was tired.
I’d much rather work a hard day of labor at home, surrounded by familiar, simple things, and be at peace. In fact, Wayne and I just got done vaccinating 48 steers. I thoroughly enjoyed that job. For some reason I smelled a lot worse than when I was used to milking cows twice a day, but I loved it anyway. Brian and Emily helped too. Jesse and Jolisa played in the feed while we were vaccinating, and what a mess Jesse was! He had to change clothes in the washhouse before coming on into the house, but he did it willingly because his daddy told him he could go to a farm store open house with him.
It still seems so different to not be doing chores four hours a day. Brian does the chores in the morning: feeding the heifers, steers, horses, and Sam the dog. That arrangement works fine as long as we don’t have frozen water pipes and the tractor and skid loader start.
In the afternoon, Wayne comes home from work around 1:30, eats a bit, and heads outside to do whatever has to be done. There is always plenty to do. One dark Friday morning, when Wayne wasn’t working at the factory, he discovered our small heifers were missing. The evening before Sam had barked several times, but we figured it was just because of the vehicles passing by. Sam doesn’t bark without reason. The heifers had probably been out then already. Wayne searched a while in the dark, but gave up until daylight. I guess it was their turn to go camping, as they had nested down in the ditch beside the road, east and south of us. We were thankful nobody hit them, as they could have caused a lot of injuries or worse.
A 21-year-old lady caused quite a stir around here the other Saturday morning. Our girls noticed my dad walking up the road a bit, and he was working with a horse that appeared to be in distress. We finally figured out it was a dumped buggy. Her horse had spooked about something beside the road, upset the buggy, trapping her underneath. About that time, this young gal was at our house needing help. She could hardly talk, but said she thought her jaw was broken. I totally agreed with her, as her jaw was disfigured.
Our girls ran here and there getting her paper towels, and then the girls disappeared. I prayed for guidance. I felt like a jack rabbit jumping here and there trying to help her, cleaning her up a bit, hoping to keep her as comfortable as possible.
A lady soon came to take her to the hospital. This young lady ended up being transported from one hospital to the next in an ambulance. She needed surgery to fix her crushed jaw. She also lost four teeth and more were loose. She needed between 80 and 100 stitches in her mouth. Had I known the extent of her injuries, I probably would have fainted. I was impressed with her calmness.
I believe when these things happen, God has a plan. I was thankful to be here for her, but I had to wonder what the purpose was. It happened here for a reason. She came to our door for a reason. What was I to learn? I pray our hearts are always open. During devotions I came across Matthew 25:35-40:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
On Thanksgiving Day our family gained a family member when Dad and Alice Borkholder were united in marriage. As life goes on, we experience one change after the other. We trust in God to lead us, and we t
rod onward, one step at a time and make the best of every situation.
Throughout this last year, I kept telling myself it’s not always the situations we are in that control our lives, but what we chose to make of the situations. My attitude is 99 percent of everything!
Where would I be without Jesus? Where would I spend eternity? Lost in a world full of sadness without Jesus, where would I be?
We as American people are so blessed to be able to go to town—the town of our choice—to do our grocery shopping. So why then does it make me so tired? Decisions, decisions. So many choices, and it flattens the checkbook in such a short time. Do we buy healthy or unhealthy, store brand or name brand, fresh or frozen?
I watch prices like a hawk and can smell a good deal from a mile away, but that doesn’t always mean I buy it. I still ask myself, “Is this really necessary?” Sometimes I splurge, but most times, by the time I have the regular items like soup crackers, lunch meat, butter, flour, sugar, and such, the cart is piled high and the receipt is a foot-and-a-half long. Grocery shopping in the winter is even worse. My children are horrified by the way I look when I go to town: thick black socks, several jackets under my too-big coat, a thick head scarf, plus an outer bonnet over that. Fashion statement failure deluxe.
“Mom, are you really going to town like that?”
Riding seven miles in the buggy, tying up the horse at least four times, walking hither and yon, I get cold. Therefore I dress to stay warm, fashionable or not. The girls went to school anyway and forgot about me.